Namibia in Numbers – El Niño looms

Namibia should brace herself for a difficult rainy season, with the Enso forecast pointing towards a strong possibility of severe drought starting this year.

While Enso is referred to as a single phenomenon, it occurs in three phases: Neutral, La Niña (a cooling of the ocean surface) and El Niño (a warming of the ocean surface).

Unfortunately for Namibia, El Niño directly correlates with a dry season or even drought. Even more concerningly, the probabilities of a strong El Niño, often referred to as a Super El Niño, are so high that a severe drought is likely.